Filner vouched for theft defendant

Removal of Children's Pool sign was free speech issue, mayor says

Pease readily admits to removing the flag and, in fact, had a friend take video of the removal.

“I did it,” he said. “I documented it. I wasn’t denying I did any of this. I just didn’t think that what I was doing was illegal.”

Pease said he asked Filner earlier this year if the mayor would speak on his behalf and said his plea bargain amounted to an extremely light sentence — something he credits Filner for.

“It could have just been a coincidence they decided to essentially drop it after his testimony,” Pease said. “But the fact is, when the head of the executive branch of city government determined the posting of these signs in the public right of way was illegal, it was going to be next to impossible for the city attorney’s office to successfully prosecute me for removing them.”

A month after testifying in the Pease case, Filner attended a federal criminal hearing as a spectator, then held a news conference to encourage potential jurors to find the former owner of medical marijuana dispensaries not guilty of drug charges if they believe prosecuting such cases is unjust.

The former dispensary owner that Filner testified for, Ronnie Chang, faces 60 charges, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and money laundering, stemming from two medical marijuana dispensaries he owned in San Marcos and Wildomar. He has pleaded not guilty.

Chang’s lawyers have argued his prosecution is unjust because Chang was complying fully with a state proposition intended to allow medicinal use of marijuana. They’ve also said the case is politically motivated as federal officials seek to make an example of Chang. His trial is scheduled for November.